Saturday, September 12, 2009

Strawberry Jam

Start water boiling in a large canning pot, rack tucked inside. Boil canning lids in a small pot, then remove with tongs to a clean dish towel.

While water is coming to a boil in your canning pot, place crushed strawberries in another large pot with the lemon juice. Add pectin and bring to a full, rolling boil. Skim off any foam. Some folks add 1/2 teaspoon butter to reduce foaming, but I don’t really see a difference.

As soon as strawberry mixture reaches a boil, add sugar. Return to boil and keep at the full, rolling boil for one minute.

Remove from heat and ladle immediately into clean, sterilized jars. Some folks boil their jars where others turn up the heat in the dishwasher and wash them without any other dishes. The point is these jars are going to contain food products for up to a year and sterilization is the most important step in this whole process! Caution is wise, but if you are not comfortable with the process, then Freezer Jam is for you. (Simply add mixture to Freezer Jam containers, much like Tubberware, and toss in the freezer. Hope you have a Freezer Chest, because Freezer Jam can take up a lot of room.)

Place lids on top, screw on bands, and lower onto rack in your pot of boiling water. Cover and boil 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a cutting board or rack to cool.

You can test the vacuum seal on the top of the lid by pressing in the center. Nothing should move or pop. If the seal is tight, then it’s canned. If not, it goes in the fridge immediately to be consumed first.

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Lillian Hellman"Even if they've moved away, most people who grew up in the South still consider themselves Southern."

Lee Smith "The biggest myth about Southern women is that we are frail types--fainting on our sofas...nobody where I grew up every acted like that. We were about as fragile as coal trucks."

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Florence King"I've always said that next to Imperial China, the South is the best place in the world to be an old lady."

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